West New York Mayor Roque switches, now endorses Sen. Robert Menendez for re-election

West New York Mayor Dr. Felix Roque, under pressure from the Hudson County Democratic Organization, announced yesterday that he is switching his endorsement in the U.S. Senate race from state Sen. Joe Kyrillos to U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez.

LAUREN CASSELBERRY JOURNAL PHOTOWEST NEW YORK MAYOR FELIX ROQUE announces his support for Senator Menendez yesterday during a press conference in West New York.

In a news conference that lasted roughly 60 seconds, Roque said: “I’m a military man, so I listen to commands when they come down to me. So I feel it’s in the best interests of the community of West New York to support Sen. Robert Menendez.”

Roque, speaking at his Together We Can campaign office on Palisade Avenue near 53rd Street, then noted that he didn’t feel well and refused to take questions. He was accompanied by Commissioners Count Wiley and FiorD’Aliza Frias and assistant Town Attorney Joe DeMarco.

Roque made no reference to Kyrillos, whom he endorsed in early February.

Chapin Fay, Kyrillos’ campaign spokesman, had no problem taking a shot at both Hudson County and Menendez when told about Roque’s flip-flop.

“We get it. It’s Hudson county politics. It shows machine politician Menendez is worried, and he should be. We are going to win,” Fay told The Jersey Journal in an e-mail.

It has been reported that HCDO chairman Mark Smith refused to give the county line on the June primary ballot to Roque’s slate of 58 committee people. It has also been widely reported that the FBI has been to West New York at least twice in the past week, interviewing Roque and at least one school official.

Smith and Menendez, the former Union City mayor who has been a senator since 2006, did not return comments yesterday.